This invention relates to stamped and formed conductor-in-slot connecting devices of the general type first disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,983. The herein disclosed embodiment of the invention conforms to the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,335 in that the connecting device is of the specific type shown in the latter patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,983 discloses and claims a conductor-in-slot connecting device comprising a pair of plate-like members which are connected to each other by means of strap members which extend between corresponding ends of the plate-like members. Conductor-receiving slots are provided in the plate-like members which extend inwardly from the corresponding ends thereof so that a conductor can be moved laterally of its axis along a path extending between the plate-like members and into the slots.
The general type of connecting device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,983 has found wide spread acceptance in the electrical industry, U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,335 for example, shows a connector having terminals therein which have connecting portions of the type described in the earlier patent. These conductor-in-slot connecting devices do not require prestripping of the conductor and they are, moreover, amenable to mass conductor insertion operations as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,335 so that a large number of wires or other conductors can be connected to terminals in an extremely short time.
Under some circumstances, it would be highly desirable to have, as a feature of connecting devices of the type described above, a retaining means which would function to prevent movement of a conductor laterally of its axis and from the conductor receiving slots in the connecting device. Quite often, the retaining means can be provided as a part of some ancillary structure associated with the connecting means; for example the multi-contact connector shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,335 may be provided with a back cover or clamp which grips all of the wires extending to the terminals in the multicontact connector. When this arrangement or a similar arrangement is employed, the portions of the conductors which extend from the clamp to the terminals are isolated from external forces applied to the wires and there is no danger of movement of the wires from the connecting device on the ends of the terminals. However, connecting devices of the type under consideration are sometimes used as free standing devices mounted on a printed circuit board with no ancillary structure such as a housing and a separate stream relative means cannot be provided. Under such circumstances, a wire-retaining and strain relief means in accordance with the instant invention is highly desirable.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved conductor-in-slot type connecting device. A further object is to provide a connecting device having improved conductor retaining and strain relief means integral therewith. A further object is to provide a one-piece stamped and formed conductor-in-slot connecting device having improved strain relief and conductor retaining means which can be manufactured at substantially no increase in cost as compared to previously known devices of the same type.